The Opposition will take matters into its own hands if no independent inquiry is launched into the visa scam, PN leader Simon Busuttil warned yesterday.
“The Opposition will take steps against the government if it does not acquiesce to our request, as we want to disclose the facts behind this scandal,” Dr Busuttil said yesterday.
The PN leader was speaking in a brief interview during a fund-raising marathon on Net Television. He said this scam could have serious repercussions on national security.
Asked by the Times of Malta precisely what measures were being contemplated by the Opposition, and if they included a parliamentary motion, a PN spokesman said all options were open.
“If the government continues to ignore these calls the Opposition does not exclude escalating the matter by resorting to other action, in Parliament and outside, which will be announced in due course,” the spokesman said
Dr Busuttil’s remarks prompted an immediate reaction from the Labour Party.
“The Prime Minister has already stated that at the opportune moment when authorities looking into this case conclude their investigations, there would be an independent probe,” the PL said in a statement.
It added that this administration was combating a racket of abuse which had been going on under the PN administration that was voted out of office in March 2013.
The PL questioned the reasons why Dr Busuttil was so keen on an inquiry and would not wait for the conclusion of all investigations.
We will keep harping on an independent probe, as we do not trust the government
The PN leader had made his request for the probe to take place following a security committee meeting held on September 10. The committee had been convened in the wake of the concerns raised by the arraignment of former Labour Party treasurer Joe Sammut, charged in connection with the issuing of fraudulent visas.
Mr Sammut is alleged to have been helping Libyan nationals acquire residency in Malta through the creation of fictitious local businesses.
Commenting on this scandal yesterday, Dr Busuttil said Mr Sammut’s alleged involvement was just the “tip of the iceberg” and that corruption in the issuing of visas was widespread.
The extraordinarily high number of residence permits issued last year (14,000), which eclipsed the number of migrants who reached Malta in an entire decade, fuelled suspicions of corruption and fraud, he said.
“For this reason we will keep harping on an independent probe, as we do not trust the government.”
Touching on the PN Independence activities held in Valletta, he said the party had managed to deliver its message to the people.
“Those disillusioned with Labour’s promise of change for the better should now turn to the PN as it has learnt its lesson and will strive to meet their expectations,” he said.
Dr Busuttil expressed his optimism that the party can overturn the 36,000 vote deficit of the 2013 general election.